March 14, 2008

Dear Friend,

We are writing to you on behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace to urge you to engage in selective divestment from Israel's military occupation. JVP is one of the largest and oldest grassroots Jewish peace organizations in the U.S. We have a professional staff of six that supports 20,000 Internet activists and a fast-growing list of volunteers and chapters across the United States. Our membership supports selective divestment from corporations such as Caterpillar that contribute to the violence.

Some of your investments contribute to the destruction of homes and livelihoods, the theft of land, and even the death of Palestinians and Israelis. Military occupation is pulling apart the threads of civil society in Israel and Palestine. We applaud your effort to end the violence in Israel/Palestine, and we are very grateful that you are considering this courageous initiative.

Politics have failed to bring peace to the region.  The situation is rapidly deteriorating, bringing misery and increased violence towards both peoples. That's why your church initiatives for selective divestment are so timely, vital and courageous.  In periods when politics fail, broad social movements emerge to bring about political and social change.  Civil rights for African Americans and an end to apartheid in South Africa were brought about by grassroots social movements, often originating in the churches and utilizing nonviolent methods such as economic pressure. We believe this is such a moment in history.

Jewish Voice for Peace has been working for the past four years in the movement to pressure corporations that profit from the Israeli occupation to stop cooperating with the occupation. Together with the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of Loretto, we have filed a number of shareholder resolutions in Caterpillar, Inc., challenging the corporation's sale of military bulldozers to Israel. Caterpillar bulldozers have been used to destroy tens of thousands of Palestinian homes, uproot hundreds of thousands of trees, and, in some cases, kill civilians, including a paraplegic man who was buried alive inside his home. Both the Presbyterian and United Methodist churches have participated in dialogue with Caterpillar regarding its poor human rights record, including the destruction of Palestinian homes and agricultural land.  The corporation has taken no action in response to either the human rights or the faith-based community's concerns.

We are asking you to engage in a brave act of alliance and friendship with those of us in the Jewish community struggling to end the occupation. We are asking you to choose the powerful, nonviolent tool of selective divestment.
There are Jewish organizations who claim that divestment from Israel's occupation is equivalent to divesting from Israel.  We believe this to be a mistaken perception. JVP does not advocate divestment from Israel; we advocate selective divestment from corporations that support military occupation. There is a difference. The corporations targeted are mostly multinationals, and not Israeli. We also believe that selective divestment supports the future of Israelis and Palestinians.

If you decide to openly consider selective divestment you may face criticism from your friends in the Jewish community. They may see this as an act of betrayal and even anti-Semitism. We see it differently.

JVP believes that there is no country in the world whose actions are above criticism—Neither the U.S., nor Israel, nor any other country. JVP believes that challenging the Israeli occupation is not an anti-Semitic act, but an action on behalf of human rights and an act in support of the future of Israelis and Palestinians. Selective divestment does not single out Israel. Rather it singles out the injustice of Israeli occupation.

We honor the friendship between Methodists, Presbyterians, and Jews. A relationship in which one party is unwilling to challenge the other is not a true friendship. Friendship requires honesty, and honesty, in this case, requires risk. We can think of no greater act of friendship than to risk being defamed in order to end the injustice of occupation.

In fact, surveys increasingly show that most American Jews believe that the occupation is having a deteriorating effect on Israeli security. Those who advocate against selective divestment from companies like Caterpillar are sending Israel the message that the solution to every security problem is overwhelming military force.  JVP believes that a broad social movement which advocates selective divestment is the path to peace and security and an appropriate response in a time when politics have failed to provide solutions. Selective divestment is a form of strategic nonviolence on behalf of peace when all other methods have failed.

Have courage! Vote for selective divestment from corporations that profit from Israel's occupation. Stand now with those of us in the Jewish community who believe that selective divestment can contribute to ending the Israeli Palestinian conflict and bringing peace to both peoples. We need your help and your solidarity.

Jewish Voice for Peace is available as a resource to you, other delegates and your congregation. (We have more information available on our website at www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org) Our members are available and prepared to speak to you, your congregation or your delegation. Please contact Sydney Levy at the Jewish Voice for Peace office at 510-465-1777 or by email at sydney@jvp.org.

May you be blessed in your work.

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, JVP Advisory Board
Rachel Pfeffer, JVP Interim Executive Director